Cleveland Browns cut QB Brock Osweiler

Frank Schwab
·NFL writer
Brock Osweiler was cut by the Cleveland Browns. (AP)
Brock Osweiler was cut by the Cleveland Browns. (AP)

On the day Brock Osweiler was traded by the Houston Texans, the eventual headline “Cleveland Browns cut QB Brock Osweiler” wouldn’t have been a shock to anyone. But how we got to this point was a little stranger than expected.

Osweiler started the Browns’ first two preseason games. This came after an offseason of the Browns pumping up their newest acquisition, who was practically the first major “cash for pick” trade in NFL history. The Texans had to throw in a second-round pick for the Browns to take on Osweiler’s salary in the trade. The Browns, who have a ton of cap room, saw that as being a worthwhile investment. It didn’t seem they had any interest in Osweiler, just the pick. That seemed to change over the summer. Then it worked out as everyone assumed back in March.

Osweiler failed in his two starts and now will be starting over. The Browns cut him on Friday, according to numerous reports. The Browns end up owing Osweiler about $16 million. It’s not a huge shock the Browns cut him, considering they named rookie DeShone Kizer their starter and didn’t play Osweiler in the final two preseason games. If the Browns were showcasing Osweiler for a trade by starting him those first two preseason games, it predictably didn’t work because nobody was taking on Osweiler’s contract.

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What’s next for Osweiler? What he has put on film since he was benched in Week 17 of the 2015 Denver Broncos season has not been good. He didn’t do well last season with the Texans. He didn’t play well this preseason with the Browns. Still, he has a second-round pedigree, did have some very nice moments with the 2015 Broncos and there are a lot of subpar quarterbacks currently employed in the NFL. Now that he doesn’t have that four-year, $72 million deal attached to him, Osweiler might be an interesting low-investment gamble for some team.

But Osweiler won’t be with the Browns any longer. This conclusion was expected the moment the trade went down, but we went through an unexpected journey to get here.

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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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